Airplane with at least one lifter driving mechanism



April 14, 1970 GJF LEMWNG 3,506,223

AIRPLANE WITH AT'LEAST ONE LIFTER DRIVING MECHANISM Filed May 6, 1968 2Sheets-Sheet 1 ul l\\\\ A In ventar: a mywlmar/"1'47 April14 1970 'GJL'EM G 3,506,223

AIRPLANE WITH AT LEAST ONE LIFTER DRIVING MECHANISM Filed May 6, 1968 2Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,506,223 AIRPLANE WITH AT LEAST ONELIFTER DRIVING MECHANISM Gyntherr Flemming, Sudweyhe, Germany, assignorto Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke Gesellschaft mit beschrankter HaftungFruher Weser Flugzeugbau/ Focke-Wulf/Heinkel-Flugzeugbau, Bremen,Germany Filed May 6, 1968, Ser. No. 726,682 Claims priority, applicationgelrmany, May 11, 1967, Int. Cl. B64c 1/14 U.S. Cl. 244-129 9 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An airplane with a lifting drive the outletof which is adapted selectively to be closed and opened by two flapsarranged one behind the other when looking in the flight direction ofthe plane, the rear flap being movable into overlapping arrangement withthe front flap during the opening movement of said flap.

The present invention relates to an airplane with at least one liftingdriving mechanism the outlet of which is adapted to be closed by twoflaps which are arranged one behind the other and which are pivotable inthe same direction about axes extending in a direction transverse to thedirection of flight, said flaps when in their outward position servingfor guiding the jet, dividing the jet or deviating the jet.

With a heretofore known arrangement, the flaps, after being pivoted, areso located in the jet that no partial jet impacts upon said flaps andthus is not at all or only slightly deviated. Since the flaps in openedcondition extend fairly far in downward direction, the ground clearanceis relatively small.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide anairplane with a lifting driving mechanism in which, when employing twoflaps for closing the outlet of such driving mechanism, the flaps willbe so designed and arranged that on one hand, with the flaps in fullyopened condition, there will exist a maximum of ground clearance whileon the other hand, when the flaps are in partially opened condition fordeviating the jet, it will be possible to obtain a nearly complete jetdeviation of almost the entire thrust jet.

It is another object of this invention to provide an airplane of thetype set forth in the preceding paragraph, in which the operation of theflaps is simple and reliable.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear moreclearly from the following specification in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a flap arrangement for a lifting driving mechanismarranged in the fuselage, said flap arrangement being shown in closedposition.

FIG. 2 shows the device of FIG. 1 but with the flaps in partially openedposition, i.e. in a position for the deviation of the jet.

FIG. 3 shows the device of FIG. 1 with the flaps in fully openedposition.

FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates a cross section through atrough-shaped rear flap which is divided approximately in the centralportion thereof.

FIG. 5 shows a cross section of a trough-shaped rear flap similar tothat of FIG. 4 but with the difference that the flap sections forpurposes of dividing the jet form a ridge.

FIG. 6 shows a modified flap arrangement according to the invention forthe deviation of the jet.

, 3,506,223 Patented Apr. 14, 1970 FIG. 7 shows a flap arrangementsimilar to that of FIG. 6 while the flap sections for purposes ofdividing the jet form a ridge.

The arrangement according to the present invention is characterizedprimarily in that the rear flap, during the opening operation of saidflaps, moves over the front flap until it fully overlaps the front flapat the end of the opening movement. The front flap may, in a mannerknown per se. be pivotable about an axis whereas the rear flap is guidedby linked levers which by means of corresponding bearings are adapted tobe rotated.

The front flap advantageously comprises an actuating arm which isconnected to the lever for the rear flap by means of a connecting leverfor a common drive.

According to a further development of the present invention, the pivotaxis for the front flap is so located that said front flap whenoccupying its open position, partially extends into the interior of thefuselage. Such an arrangement yields a considerable ground clearance ofthe airplane during starting and landing operations.

Furthermore, for purposes of improving the path of the jet, the rearflap is, in conformity with the present invention, trough-shaped in thedirection of the longitudinal axis of the airplane.

With airplanes which have a lifting driving mechanism, preferablyarranged in the central area of the fuselage, it is furthermoresuggested, in conformity with the present invention, that the rear flapis divided in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the airplane,and that the thus formed flap portions are pivotally connected to eachother in such a way that, when pivoting the flap portions toward eachother, the same form a ridge for dividing the jet. For purposes ofactuating the flap portions, the front flap is advantageously providedwith a control wedge.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the fuselage 1 of an airplanehas an outlet opening 2 for a lifting driving mechanism 3. This outletopening 2 is adapted to be closed by two flaps 4 and 5. The rear flap 5(when looking in the direction of flight of the airplane) is in theneighborhood of one of its ends pivotally connected to an arm 6 of atwo-arm lever 7, whereas a one-arm lever 8 is pivotally connected to theother end of flap 5. The two-arm lever 7 and the one-arm lever 8 arerespectively pivotally arranged through the intervention of a bearing 9and 10 respectively, said bearings being fixedly connected to thefuselage.

The front flap 4 has connected thereto an arm 12 carrying a fixed shaft11 about which the flap 4 is rotatable. Arm 12 is by means of aconnecting lever 13 connected to an arm 14 of the two-arm lever 7. Theconnecting points 15 and 16 form pivot points. At the connecting point16, there is linked a piston rod 18 reciprocably mounted in a hydrauliccylinder 17. Said cylinder 17 and piston rod 18 form a driving means.The hydraulic cylinder 17 is provided with connections 19 and 20 forrespective connection with control lines, and has its end 21 pivotallyconnected to the fuselage.

When actuating the hydraulic cylinder 17, the piston rod 18 is adaptedby means of the lever 7 which is rotatable in the bearing 9 to pivot theflap 5 out of its starting position. Simultaneously, the flap 4 is bymeans of the connecting lever 13 and arm 12 pivoted about the shaft 11.During the tilting of the flaps 4 and 5, flap 5 slides over the flap 4so that in fully opened condition shown in FIG. 3, a ground clearance ofless than the length of flap 5 is required.

In an intermediate position of the flaps 3 and 4, which intermediateposition is shown in FIG. 2, the flaps have reached a location in whicha jet deviation is effected so that the jets of the driving mechanism ofthe lifter mechanism can be exploited for cruising flight ordistance-formation flight.

According to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the marginal areas of theflaps 4 and 5 are somewhat rectangularly turned upwardly for betterguiding the jet. This design has the advantage that when the outletopening is opened within this area a low pressure will form during thecruising flight so that the starting of the lifting mechanism in flightwill be facilitated.

This advantage can also be realized by a trough-shaped design of therear flap 5 as shown in FIG. 4. In order to be able to use the flap 5also for dividing the jet of the driving mechanism, according to thisembodiment, the flap 5 is in the direction of the longitudinal axis ofthe airplane divided approximately in the central portion, and theformed flap portions 22 and 23 are pivotally connected to each other bymeans of a joint 24. In this way, when pivoting the flap portions 22 and23 relative to each other, these flap portions form a trough accordingto FIG. 4 or a ridge 31 according to FIG. 5. In order to prevent anundesired folding up of the flap 5, and in order to obtain a returnforce, the joint is provided with a spring 25. With a flap arrangementof this type which is also useable for dividing the jet, the connectinglever 13 is, in contrast to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, replaced bya hydraulic cylinder 26 (FIGS. 6 and 7) with a piston rod 27 having theconnections 28 and 29. Furthermore, flap 4 is equipped with a controlwedge 30 for actuating the flap portions 22 and 23.

The pivoting operation is effected in the manner described in connectionwith the first embodiment of the invention. When the intermediateposition of the flaps 4 and 5 for deviating the jet has been realized,as shown in FIG. 6, additionally a deviation of the jet can be obtainedby adjusting the flap 4 by means of the hydraulic cylinder 26 and pistonrod 27 and by pivoting by means of control wedge 30 the flap portions 22and 23 toward each other against the thrust of a torsion spring 25 sothat the flap portions 22 and 23 form a ridge.

As will be seen from the above, the outstanding advantages of thearrangement and design of the flaps for dividing the jet are seen inthat during the operation of the lifting driving mechanism, the soilerosion on the ground will be reduced and the outer rods and extensionslocated below the airplane and behind the lifting mechanism are not hitby hot jets.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, limited to the particular constructions shown in the drawings butalso comprises any modifications within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. An airplane having a fuselage and a lifting drive and also having anoutlet opening in said fuselage for said lifting drive, which includes:flap means, pivot 'means supported by said fuselage and extendingtransverse to the flight direction of said airplane, said pi-vot meanspivotally supporting said flap means for pivotal movement in the samedirection from a first position in which said flap means close saidoutlet opening to a second position in which said flap means open saidoutlet opening and vice versa, said flap means when viewed in flightdirection of said airplane comprising a front flap and a rear flap,-lever means connected to said front flap and said rear flap so as tocause said flaps to move into overlapping arrangement with regard toeach other in response to said flap 'means moving from said firstposition toward said second position, and actuating means supported bysaid fuselage for actuating said lever means and thereby moving saidflap means, said pivot means including a first shaft pivotallysupporting said front flap and also including a second pivot shaft and athird pivot shaft, and said lever means including a first lever forminga two-arm lever pivotally supported by said fuselage and pivotallyconnected to said rear flap by said second pivot shaft, said le-vermeans also including a second lever forming a one-arm lever pivotallyconnected to said fuselage and pivotally connected to said rear flap bysaid third pivot shaft, said second and third 4 pivot shafts beingarranged substantially parallel to and in spaced relationship to eachother, and link means interconnecting said first lever and said frontflap.

2. An airplane according to claim 1, in which said pivot means includesa pivot shaft pivotally supporting said front flap, and in which saidinterconnecting means includes a linkage system linked to said rearflap.

3. An airplane according to claim 2, in which said pivot shaft for saidfront flap is so located as to partially extend through said outletopening into said fuselage when said front flap occupies its fully openposition.

4. An airplane according to claim 1, in which each of said flaps has atrough-shaped cross section.

5. An airplane according to claim 1, in which said front and rear flapsare so connected to said lever means that said flaps are nearly verticalwith regard to a horizontal plane while the rear flap extends behind andover the entire length of said front flap.

6. An airplane having a fuselage and a lifting drive and also having anoutlet opening in said fuselage for said lifting drive, which includes:flap means, pivot means supported by said fuselage and extendingtransverse to the flight direction of said airplane, said pivot meanspivotally supporting said flap means for pivotal movement in the samedirection from a first position in which said flap means close saidoutlet opening to a second position in which said flap means open saidoutlet opening and vice versa, said flap means when viewed in flightdirection of said airplane comprising a front flap and a rear flap,lever means connected to said front flap and said rear flap so as tocause said flaps to move into overlapping arrangement with regard toeach other in response to said flap means moving from said firstposition toward said second position, and actuating means supported bysaid fuselage for actuating said lever means and thereby moving saidflap means, the rear flap being along the central longitudinallyextending portion thereof subdivided into two sections pivotallyinterconnected to each other, and means operatively interconnecting saidsections for selectively causing the same to form a ridge with eachother.

7. An airplane having a fuselage and a lifting drive and also having anoutlet opening in said fuselage for said lifting drive, which includes:flap means, pivot means supported by said fuselage and extendingtransverse to the flight direction of said airplane, said pivot meanspivotally supporting said flap means for pivotal movement in the samedirection from a first position in which said flap means close saidoutlet opening to a second position in which said flap means open saidoutlet opening and vice versa, said flap means when viewed in flightdirection of said airplane comprising a front flap and a rear flap,lever means connected to said front flap and said rear flap so as tocause said flaps to move into overlapping arrangement with regard toeach other in response to said flap means moving from said firstposition toward said second position, actuating means supported by saidfuselage for actuating said lever means and thereby moving said flapmeans, the rear flap being along the central longitudinally extendingportion thereof subdivided into two sections pivotally interconnected toeach other, and means operatively interconnecting said sections forselectively causing the same to form a trough with each other.

8. An airplane having a fuselage and a lifting drive and also having anoutlet opening in said fuselage for said lifting drive, which includes:flap means, pivot means supported by said fuselage and extendingtransverse to the flight direction of said airplane, said pivot meanspivotally supporting said flap means for pivotal movement in the samedirection from a first position in which said flap means close saidoutlet opening to a second position in which said flap means open saidoutlet opening and vice versa, said flap means when viewed in flightdirection of said airplane comprising a front flap and a rear flap,lever means connected to said front flap and said rear flap so as tocause said flaps to move into overlapping arrangement with regard toeach other in response to said fiap means moving from said firstposition toward said second position, actuating means supported by saidfuselage for actuating said lever means and thereby moving said fiapmeans, said rear flap being subdivided into two sections, and said frontflap comprising control wedge means for actuating said rear flapsections.

9. An airplane having a fuselage and a lifting drive and also having anoutlet opening in said fuselage for said lifting drive, which includes:two one-piece flap means, pivot means supported by said fuselage andextending transverse to the flight direction of said airplane, saidpivot means pivotally supporting said flap means for pivotal movement inthe same direction from a first position in which said two one-pieceflap means close said outlet opening to a second position in which saidtwo one-piece flap means open said outlet opening and vice versa, saidtwo one-piece flap means when viewed in flight direction of saidairplane comprising a front flap pivotally journalled directly to saidfuselage as well as a rear fiap pivotally journalled indirectly to saidfuselage by at least two pivot points and both necessary for ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,243,800 5/1941 Goodyear 239265.293,033,493 5/1962 Wilde et a1. 24452 X 3,310,260 3/1967 Chichester-Miles244l2 3,327,482 6/1967 Pike 244-23 X MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner J.E. PITTENGER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

